77-year-old man remanded for allegedly abusing a seven-year-old girl

Anuradhapura Additional Magistrate D. L. Samarasinghe ordered the seventy-year-old suspect, arrested on charges of abusing a minor schoolgirl aged about seven years and eight months, to be remanded until January 8th.

The person arrested by the Kebithigollewa Headquarters Police Children and Women's Bureau is a seventy-year-old married man named Padmaperuma Arachchige Ranjith, also known as 'Ranjith Seeya', residing in the Vavuniya Road area of Kebithigollewa.

The victim girl's brother, upon learning that the suspect had severely abused his minor sister, angrily assaulted the suspect with a stick. Due to this assault, the injured suspect is currently receiving inpatient treatment at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital.

Regarding the incident, Kebithigollewa Headquarters Chief Police Inspector Chamila Ratnayake and Sergeant (53290) Prasanna Ranjith Dissanayake reported the facts to the Kebithigollewa Magistrate's Court.

Kebithigollewa Magistrate Ms. Imesha Patabendige had informed the Anuradhapura Additional Magistrate to examine the hospitalized suspect, who was assaulted, and issue an appropriate order. Accordingly, after visiting the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital and observing the suspect, the Additional Magistrate issued this remand order.

The Additional Magistrate further ordered the Kebithigollewa Headquarters Chief Police Inspector to submit a progress report on the investigations into the crime to the court at the next hearing.

According to facts revealed during police investigations, the father of the severely sexually abused girl lives separately from her mother, having left their home. Attorney Chathura Dhananjaya Ranathunga appeared on behalf of the suspect in court.